The 2020 French municipal elections were held from 15 March to 28 June to renew the municipal councils of the approximately 35,000 French communes. The first round took place on 15 March and the second round was postponed to 28 June due to the COVID-19 pandemic.FAZ online: Frankreich schließt fast alle öffentlichen Einrichtungen
Electoral system Municipal elections in France result in the renewal of the members of municipal councils in every commune, and are held every 6 years. With the exception of Paris, Lyon, and Marseille, the electoral subdivision is the commune itself. In Paris, separate elections are held for each arrondissement, as is the case in Lyon, where elections are also held by arrondissement; in Marseille, elections are held within sectors containing two arrondissements each.
Election is open to European citizens living in the country, but since 2020, 800 English/British people have lost their electoral capacities due to Brexit.
The number of municipal councillors within each commune is dependent upon its population, from a minimum of 7 for communes with a population less than 100 to 69 for those with a population of 300,000 or more (with the exception of the three largest cities). The electoral system within each commune is also dependent on its population.
In communes with fewer than 1,000 inhabitants, two-round majority-at-large voting with panachage is used, with candidates elected in the first round should they receive an absolute majority of votes cast and at least a quarter of the number of individuals registered on the electoral rolls. The remaining seats are filled in the second round, in which only a plurality of votes is required to be elected. The requirement for gender parity is also void in these smaller communes.
In communes with 1,000 or more inhabitants, electoral lists contest a two-round proportional representation system with a majority bonus. Should a list receive an absolute majority of votes cast in the first round, it will receive half of all seats and the rest of the seats will be distributed proportionally among electoral lists with at least 5% of votes using the D'Hondt method. If a second round is necessitated, only lists which received at least 10% of valid votes in the first round proceed, and may merge with other lists which received at least 5% of votes cast in the first round. Seats are then allocated using the same method as the first round, guaranteeing a majority for the list with a relative majority of votes.
In the three largest cities, the election of municipal councils and arrondissement councils takes place simultaneously, and follow the same electoral method as that for communes with 1,000 or more inhabitants within each electoral division (whether arrondissement or sector). Mayors are elected in a two-round secret ballot requiring an absolute majority, and otherwise with a plurality of votes from municipal councillors if a third round is required.
The election of councillors to intercommunal structures also takes place concurrently with the municipal elections; in communes with fewer than 1,000 inhabitants, they are chosen "in the order of the table" (mayors, deputy mayors, and councillors), while in larger communes, they are elected simultaneously.
The number of municipal councillors elected in each commune is determined as a function of its population, ranging from 7 to 69 in all communes except for the three largest cities.
Population <100 <500 <1,500 <2,500 <3,500 <5,000 <10,000 <20,000 <30,000 <40,000 <50,000 Municipal councillors 7 11 15 19 23 27 29 33 35 39 43 Population <60,000 <80,000 <100,000 <150,000 <200,000 <250,000 <300,000 >300,000 Lyon Marseille Paris Municipal councillors 45 49 53 55 59 61 65 69 73 101 163
Opinion polls === National === The Harris Interactive poll was based on communes with a population of at least 10,000.
Polling firm Fieldwork date Samplesize LO NPA PCF FI G.s PS EELV DVG LREM MoDem UDI LR DVD DLF RN LP DIVOdoxa 22–23 January 2020 1,002 25% – – – 7% – 11% 13.5% – 18% – – 13.5% – – 14% – 19% Harris Interactive 22 May–7 Jun 2018 1,674 – 2% 9% 2% 19% 27% 5% 18% 5% 13% <0.5% – 2014 election 23 Mar 2014 – 36.45% 0.60% 3.13% – 18.01% 1.16% 15.88% – 0.97% 2.33% 18.51% 24.57% (DVD) 4.76% – 10.09%
By commune Bordeaux The April 2018 and May 2019 Ifop polls were commissioned by Esprit Bordeaux, an association founded by supporters of Alain Juppé, later backing Nicolas Florian.
Polling firm Fieldwork date Samplesize Prud'homme Darchy Rouveyre Hurmic Feltesse Cazenave Fabre Florian Juppé Jay Colombier Others Ifop 9–13 May 2019 600 13% – 7% 14% 8% 8% – 45% – 5% – <0.5% Ifop 20–28 Apr 2018 800 – 10% 10% 9% 9% – 9% – 51% – 2% – – 10% 11% 9% 9% – 56% (Juppé) – 5% – 2014 election 23 Mar 2014 – 4.59% 22.58% (Feltesse) – – – 60.94% – 6.06% 5.81%
Lille First round The March 2019 OpinionWay poll was sponsored by The Republicans, while La République En Marche! commissioned the BVA poll conducted in October 2018, which did not specify a specific LR candidate.
Polling firm Fieldwork date Samplesize Bocquet Quatennens Aubry Baly Spillebout Petit Darmanin Castelain Daubresse Cattelin-Denu Others OpinionWay Mar 2019 836 – – 14% 22% – 5% 11% – – 18% – – BVA 15–20 Oct 2018 699 <0.5% 3% 10% 15% 16% – – 17% 7% 14% 17% – 2014 election 23 Mar 2014 – 6.12% 6.16% 34.85% 11.08% – – – – 22.73% 17.15% 1.87%
Second round Polling firm Fieldwork date Samplesize Quatennens Aubry Darmanin Daubresse Cattelin-Denu BVA 15–20 Oct 2018 699 – 41% 37% – 22% 14% 26% 38% – 22% 2014 election 30 Mar 2014 – – 52.05% – 29.71% 18.22%
Lyon Polling firm Fieldwork date Samplesize Perrin-Gilbert Doucet Runel Collomb Képénékian Kimelfeld Blanc Marion Ifop-Fiducial 28 Sep–3 Oct 2018 802 14% 16% 10% 31% – – 18% 11% 14% 17% 11% – 28% – 19% 11% 15% 17% 11% – – 27% 19% 11% 2014 election 23 Mar 2014 – 7.56% 8.90% 35.76% (Collomb) – – 30.49% 12.19%
Marseille The February 2019 Ifop poll was commissioned by Génération engagement, the financing association of Bruno Gilles, the PollingVox polls by l'Association des Amis de Martine Vassal (with Bruno Gilles as a miscellaneous right candidate in June 2019), and the February 2018 Ifop poll by Cap sur l'avenir 13, the micro-party of Renaud Muselier.
Polling firm Fieldwork date Samplesize Coppola Camard Mélenchon Payan Ghali Ahamada Castaner Muselier Boyer Vassal Gilles Ravier Others PollingVox 11–15 Jun 2019 1,003 4% 14% – – 13% 9% – – – 29% 10% 21% – 5% 14% – – 16% 39% (Vassal) 26% – Ifop 20–23 Feb 2019 803 4% 12% – – 19% 15% – – – – 27% 21% 2% Elabe 6–12 Sep 2018 1,001 3.5% – 19% – 16% – 17.5% 27.5% – – – 16.5% – 3.5% – 19% – 14.5% – 14% – – 34% – 15% – PollingVox 14–18 Jun 2018 1,004 3% – 21% – 14% – 17% – – 25% – 20% – Ifop 2–5 Feb 2018 700 2% – 21% – 14% – 20% 26% – – – 17% – 2% – 21% – 13% – 22% – 24% – – 18% – 2% – 22% – 13% – 20% – – 24% – 19% – 4% – 22% 10% 44% (Muselier) – – – 20% – 2014 election 23 Mar 2014 – 7.10% (Coppola) 20.77% (Mennucci) – – 37.64% (Gaudin) 23.16% 11.33%
Marseille's 5th sector The May 2019 BVA poll was commissioned by Les amis de Lionel Royer-Perreaut, the micro-party of its namesake.
Polling firm Fieldwork date Samplesize Cavagnera Pigamo Agresti Royer-Perreaut Bez Others BVA 13–22 May 2019 741 9% 18% 11% 41% 21% – 2014 election 23 Mar 2014 – 6.07% 15.28% – 45.77% 25.55% 7.31%
Montpellier The March 2018 Ifop poll was commissioned by Mohed Altrad.
Polling firm Fieldwork date Samplesize Ressiguier Doulain Ollier Delafosse Saurel Vignal Altrad Gaillard Larue Francis Jamet Rokvam Others Harris Interactive 7–11 Jan 2020 616 <0.5% - 10% 19% 10% 18% 7% 10% 5% 6% - - 10% 5% Ifop 27–31 Mar 2018 662 2% 17% - - 12% 32% (Saurel) 15% - 8% 3% 11% - <0.5% 2% 16% - - 12% 29% 20% (Altrad) - 6% 4% 11% - <0.5% 2014 election 23 Mar 2014 3.18% 7.56% - - 22.93% 25.27% – – - 22.71% 4.52% 13.80% - –
Mulhouse The September 2018 OpinionWay poll was paid for by the city of Mulhouse and the outgoing majority led by Michèle Lutz.
Polling firm Fieldwork date Samplesize Wostyn Minery Schweitzer Million Lutz Ritz OpinionWay 24 Sep–1 Oct 2018 1,003 4% 17% 12% 10% 44% 13% 5% 18% 12% 50% (Lutz–Rottner) 15% 2014 election 23 Mar 2014 – 1.53% 3.05% 31.39% – 42.16% 21.85%
Nancy The June 2019 Ifop poll was conducted on behalf of the Socialist Party (PS).
First round Polling firm Fieldwork date Samplesize Nimsgern Jouira Klein Maguin Hénart Morano Hervé Eury Others Ifop 13–15 Jun 2019 603 0.5% 8% 25% 20% 28% 8% 2% 8% 0.5% <0.5% 8% 24% 20% 36% (Hénart) 3% 9% <0.5% 0.5% 8% 41% (Klein) 37% 3% 10% 0.5%
Second round Polling firm Fieldwork date Samplesize Klein Hénart Ifop 13–15 Jun 2019 603 53% 47%
Nanterre Polling firm Fieldwork date Samplesize Eisenberg Morain Jarry Coulondre Bedin Others Harris Interactive 18–23 Jan 2019 615 3% 7% 54% 12% 24% – 2014 election 23 Mar 2014 – 2.77% 53.84% – 39.65% 3.73%
Nantes The June 2019 Ifop poll was conducted on behalf of the Socialist Party (PS).
First round Polling firm Fieldwork date Samplesize Croupy Rolland Laernoes Errante Garnier Bouchet Others Ifop 14–17 Jun 2019 703 6% 33% 23% 14% 15% 8% 1% 8% 51% (Rolland) 15% 17% 8% 1%
Second round Polling firm Fieldwork date Samplesize Rolland Errante Ifop 14–17 Jun 2019 703 68% 32%
Nice First round The Ifop poll conducted in December 2017 tested a "miscellaneous right and centre of the municipal majority" list led by Christian Estrosi in the event that Éric Ciotti headed a list representing The Republicans (LR) as well as considering Robert Injey as heading a list for La France Insoumise, and was commissioned by Les Amis de Christian Estrosi.
Polling firm Fieldwork date Samplesize Injey Damiano Allemand Roussel Estrosi Ciotti Kandel Vardon Arnautu Others Ifop 3–5 Apr 2019 602 – 2% 6% 17% 6% – – 51% – – 17% – 1% 2% 4% 15% 5% – 35% – 27% – 12% – <0.5% 2% 4% 16% – – 37% – 29% – 11% – 1% 2% 8% 18% 13% – – – 44% – 14% – 1% 2% 6% 15% 6% – – 47% – 6% 17% – 1% Elabe 18–23 Mar 2019 709 39% 2.5% 4.5% 15% 7% – 28% – 27% – 16% – – 2% 4.5% 15.5% 6% – 26.5% – 27.5% 3.5% 14.5% – – 2% 4.5% 16.5% – 32% – – 29% – 16% – – 2% 4.5% 16% – 31% – – 27% 3% 16.5% – – Ifop 4–6 Dec 2017 604 – – 8% 10% 15% – – 47% – – – 17% 3% – 8% 10% 12% – 37% – 20% – – 12% 1% – 9% 11% – – 40% – 26% – – 12% 2% 2014 election 23 Mar 2014 – 45.82% 5.38% (Injey) 15.25% – – – 44.98% – 10.12% 4.43% 15.59% 4.22%
Second round Polling firm Fieldwork date Samplesize Allemand Estrosi Ciotti Kandel Vardon Ifop 3–5 Apr 2019 602 – 19% 39% – 30% – 12% 24% – 57% – – 19% 2014 election 30 Mar 2014 – 46.60% 17.84% – 48.61% – 12.42% 21.10%
Nîmes First round Polling firm Fieldwork date Samplesize Voinchet Bouger Cadène Bouad Tebib Lachaud Fournier Gillet Others OpinionWay 28 Mar–1 Apr 2019 502 10% 11% 10% – 8% 18% 24% 19% – 12% 16% (Bouad) 26% (Lachaud) 27% 19% – 2014 election 23 Mar 2014 – 12.04% 14.73% (Dumas) – – 37.18% 21.77% 14.27%
Second round Polling firm Fieldwork date Samplesize Bouget Bouad Tebib Lachaud Fournier Gillet OpinionWay 28 Mar–1 Apr 2019 502 28% – 12% – 39% 21% – 34% – 38% – 28% 2014 election 30 Mar 2014 – 14.83% 13.94% – – 46.80% 24.41%
Paris The March 2019 Ifop poll did not name a specific EELV candidate. The January 2019 Viavoice poll was conducted for La République En Marche!, and did not test any potential candidates other than Benjamin Griveaux. The September 2018 Ifop poll scenario including Cédric Villani was commissioned by CFHJ, owned by a friend of Villani, and the June 2019 Ifop poll was also conducted on behalf of Villani.
First round